When Bilbo regains consciousness, he finds that the battle is over
and that the dwarves, elves, and men seem to have won. After
removing his ring and becoming visible, he is found by one of the
men and taken to Dale, where he is reunited with Gandalf and
quickly brought to Thorin. The leader of the dwarves is mortally
wounded and close to death. Thorin repents his harsh words to
Bilbo and parts in friendship from him. Bilbo is grief-stricken at
Thorin's death.

In a flashback, the events that occurred after Bilbo fell unconscious
are recounted. The arrival of the eagles helps the elves and men
considerably, but even then they are outnumbered. It is only with
Beorn's arrival that the battle swings decisively in favor of the
forces of good. Beorn storms through the goblin troops, rescues
Thorin, and kills Bolg; then the armies of good begin pursuing and
killing the fleeing goblins. Of the thirteen dwarves in Bilbo's party,
ten remain; Fili and Kili die defending Thorin.

Thorin is buried with the Arkenstone upon his breast, and Dain is made
King under the Mountain. As promised, one-fourteenth of the treasure is
given to Bard, who dispenses it generously. He wishes to reward Bilbo
"most richly of all," but Bilbo, ever- practical, refuses to
take anything other than two chests, one of silver, the other of gold,
small enough to be carried by a pony. Having said good-bye to the dwarves,
Gandalf and Bilbo set out on their journey home in the company of Beorn
and the Elvenking's army. After parting from the elves at the edge of
Mirkwood, Bilbo and his party journey north around the forest and arrive
at Beorn's home in time for Yuletide. When spring arrives, Bilbo sets
out from Beorn's house to go home.

Your browser does not support the IFRAME tag.

Notes

With the victory for the forces of good, the climax of the plot
occurs. With the arrival and help of Beorn and his men, the goblins
and the wolves are defeated. Then the action starts to quickly fall,
as Tolkien begins to tie up all the loose ends of the novel. Thorin's
death, the division of the treasure, the annunciation of Dain as
King under the Mountain, and Bilbo's journey back to his home are
all condensed into this relatively short chapter. Once the main plot
is complete, Tolkien wastes little space prolonging the story
unnecessarily.

Tolkien tells the story of the battle in a flashback; all the forces of
good (the Lake-town men, the elves, the dwarves, and Beorn and
his men) join together to defeat the evil forces, finally chasing the
goblins and the wolves away from the mountain. Fili and Kili die
defending Thorin, who is still mortally wounded. In his heroic
death, Thorin redeems himself and once again becomes a positive
figure. Before he dies, he even apologizes to Bilbo for his harsh
behavior. With the nobility he shows in fighting and dying, Thorin
earns the sympathy of the reader as never before. Once the battle is
past and the tension is released, Bilbo changes; he seems less
adventurous and less eager for comfort and food. He also refuses to
take his fair share of the treasure, leaving with only two small
chests of gold and silver that can be easily carried by a pony.
Never does the protagonist show any greed.

Although there is a mood of sorrow in this chapter because of
Thorin's death and the various farewells that are given, there is
once again a lightening of spirit since the battle is over and the
treasure is fairly distributed. The travelers are eager to be
homeward bound, and an air relaxation predominates. Although
the forces of evil have not been crushed for good, there are many
signs that peace will reign in the land for many years to come.